THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 173 



packed out of the same pile by a careless packer, 

 who will put in a cull or two, and perhaps pack 

 loosely so the cantaloupes can roll about. When a 

 crate is packed loosely or with two or three bad 

 cantaloupes, it is sent back to the person who 

 packed it to be packed over again, then to the 

 refrigerator car. 



" As no cantaloupes are picked on Sunday, we 

 have many ripe ones on Monday, so the finest of 

 these are selected for seed. Two or three cars a 

 day during the season is my usual crop. These are 

 shipped principally to New York city, which is one 

 of the best cantaloupe markets when the quality 

 is good, and quantity not too excessive. When 

 this occurs, Boston is my next choice of markets 

 on a venture. I sometimes ship a surplus car to 

 Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Hartford, and Springfield, 

 whichever market offers the best inducements, but 

 never under any circumstances do I ship to more 

 than one firm in one city." 



BUSINESS WATERMELON GROWING 



According to Theodore Brown of Gloucester 

 county, New Jersey, " The best soil to grow 

 watermelons in is a light sand, or sandy loam, 

 previously occupied by clover sod. Usually, how- 

 ever, melons follow corn or sweet potatoes. The 

 land should be plowed in the late fall or early 

 spring and given a light coat of barnyard manure 

 broadcast. The rows are then marked 8 feet apart 

 with a two-horse plow and a light dressing of well- 

 rotted stable manure or of high-grade fertilizer 

 spread in the furrows. In covering, the row is 

 ridged up well, and let stand until ready to plant, 

 when a sled marker is run crossways, making the 



